SEC notebook: Things to know about each team heading into NCAA tournament

Prior to this year, the record for SEC teams earning a spot in the Big Dance was nine teams, set back in 2016. The postseason stakes have reached even greater heights this year.

South Carolina seeks to repeat as national champs. Texas hopes to earn a spot in the Final Four for the first time since 2003 with head coach Vic Schaefer leading the Longhorns. Kim Mulkey believes two of LSU’s “Big Three” are healthy and primed to lead the Tigers on a deep tournament run.

Meanwhile, Kentucky, Oklahoma and other teams like Mississippi and Tennessee — to name a few — entered the tournament with hopes of shaking up the women’s bracket and living out their dreams of being one of the last teams standing when April arrives. Here are some things to know about each SEC team heading into opening round games in this year’s tournament field.

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Texas (31-3)

The Longhorns solidified themselves as a legitimate Final Four contender throughout the regular season, picking up the second most Quad 1 wins — only two less than South Carolina — among Division I teams in its first season in the SEC. With SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker, a veteran leader and playmaking point guard in Rori Harmon and strong post players in Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre, the recipe for national championship resides in Austin, Texas. However, if the Longhorns desire to play in Tampa in a couple weeks, they must do a couple of things — continue to rank among the top 15 nationally in points allowed (55.9 points per game), own the offensive boards (8th nationally with 15.9 per contest) to create second chance points (16.5 ppg) and efficiently score in the paint (39.5%). They must be aggressive in getting to the free throw line, including generating offensive production off the bench.

South Carolina (30-3)

The Gamecocks seek to join an elite list of three teams in women’s college basketball history that have won consecutive women’s NCAA tournaments. Those three teams include Southern California, Tennessee and UConn. For the No. 1 seeded Gamecocks to add their name to the prestigious list above and capture the program’s fourth national title, it will come down to strong defense, points in the paint and South Carolina’s depth — the program’s most prized possession. The Gamecocks enter the field of 64 ranked No. 1 in the nation in paint points per game (42.6) and bench points per game (41.5) per game while sitting at 15th nationally in defensive rating (82.0), according to CBB Analytics.

LSU (28-5)

When Aneesah Morrow “reaggravated a mid foot sprain” in the Tigers’ loss to the Longhorns in the semifinals of the SEC tournament on March 8, there was a resounding level of concern surrounding how LSU would potentially navigate the NCAA tourney if it had to play without its double-double queen (27 doubles-doubles this season) and Flau’Jae Johnson, who hasn’t played since Feb. 27 due to shin splints. However, Mulkey stated that both stars will play in the NCAA tournament. While guard Mikaylah Williams is one the sport’s most prolific scorers and one of the elite sophomores this season, LSU is not the same team without the nation’s leading rebounder (13.6 rpg) in Morrow and its leading scorer in Johnson  (18.9 ppg) to go along with Williams and company. All three are needed to aid the team in fulfilling its core components: fast break points (16.6 ppg, 5th nationally), second chance points (18.2 ppg, leads the nation) and offensive rebounds (17.1 rpg, leads the country).

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Oklahoma (25-7)

Like the Longhorns, the Sooners survived their first SEC gauntlet this season behind the play of talented center Raegan Beers and sharpshooters Payton Verhulst and Skylar Vann on a team that averages the fourth most points (85.2) nationally per contest. However, it will also be important for OU to lean on its depth, a bench unit that ranks fifth nationally in points (29.2 ppg) and a roster where 10 of its 14 players average 10 or more minutes per contest. In a nutshell, the Sooners’ blueprint for success requires them to score efficiently and consistently get Beers touches in the paint.

Kentucky (22-7)

When Wildcats’ guard and leading scorer Georgia Amoore (19.1 ppg) possesses the ball, good things happen. Kentucky is at its best when Amoore scores in pick-and-roll scenarios — often resulting in quality midrange jump shots and 3-pointers — as well as setting up her teammates up for high efficiency shot attempts. When Kentucky combines that with the length of its post players — SEC Defensive Player of the Year Clara Strack (15.2 ppg), Amelia Hassett (8.8 ppg) and Teonni Key (11.5, 8.1 rebounds per game) — as a part of defensive unit that leads the nation in blocks (6.9 bpg) and in the top 10 in defensive rebounds (29.5) per contest, it is hard to beat the Wildcats. When at least four Kentucky players average 10-plus points, the Wildcats are 18-1. When the Wildcats convert six or more three pointers, they are 17-3 this season.

Alabama (23-8)

The Crimson Tide will make their third consecutive NCAA appearance on Saturday afternoon. A big reason why head coach Kristy Curry’s squad will partake in this year’s postseason tournament is because of her team’s veteran leadership. When Sarah Ashlee Barker (17.5 ppg), Zaay Green (15.7 ppg) and Aaliyah Nye (15.1 ppg) are knocking down shots from all areas of the court in a game, the Crimson Tide are hard to beat. However, for Alabama to extend its postseason lifespan, it will also require help from players like Essence Cody, Karly Weathers as well as bench contributions from Diana Collins, JeAnna Cunningham and Eris Lester.

Mississippi  (20-10)

The greatest asset for Mississippi is its ability to defend. It’s the biggest reason why many teams don’t want to face Mississippi, a program that sits in the top 25 nationally in defensive rating (83.3), 12th in steals and top 30 in blocks per contest (4.5). But in addition to Mississippi’s defensive prowess, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s squad features several players — Madison Scott, Kennedy Todd-Williams, Starr Jacobs, Sira Thienou and KK Deans — that can take over a basketball game offensively at any moment. When both sides of the ball mesh, this is a dangerous team. Mississippi also has experience in March, having earned its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance that includes a win against Stanford in 2023 to advance to the Sweet 16.

Vanderbilt (22-10)

The Commodores earned back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. The catalyst behind the Commodores’ success this season starts with the play of its two top 18 scorers in the nation in SEC Freshman of the Year Mikayla Blakes (23.2 ppg) and Khamil Pierre (20.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.0 steals per game). Blakes provided women’s college basketball fans with multiple 50-point games and set Vanderbilt’s freshman single-season scoring record as part of a team that sits ninth nationally in offensive rating (112.2), 14th in paint points (38.1 ppg), fifth in second chance points (15.7 ppg) and seventh in points per game (83.6 ppg), per CBB Analytics. But for the Commodores to make a deep run in March, it will require Vanderbilt to have solid performances from others like Iyana Moore — who posted a 23-point performance in the team’s second win against Tennessee in the SEC tournament quarterfinal — Jordyn Oliver and Jane Nwaba.

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Tennessee (22-9)

Vols head coach Kim Caldwell’s fast-paced offense and her intense full-court pressure philosophy on defense helped Tennessee secure a spot in this year’s NCAA tournament in her first year leading the program. The Vols average 87.2 points per game this season, third best in the nation. However, Tennessee thrives best when it scores in transition — 20.8% of its points comes in fast break situations — attacks the rim and gets putbacks on missed shots in the restricted area (40.7 points in the paint per contest) and takes advantage of points off turnovers (28.5 ppg off turnovers). The Vols lead the nation in generating points from other teams’ miscues. Talaysia Cooper (16.7 ppg), Jewel Spear (13.1 ppg) and Zee Spearman (11.5 ppg) are three key important pieces for the Vols. However, this team also relies on bench production (29.0 ppg), an area that will need to be strong should the Vols face any struggles to score in games during the tournament.

Mississippi State (21-11)

Throughout many contests this season, the Bulldogs were in tightly contested battles before miscues plagued them in critical situations that resulted in losses. However, Mississippi State landed its second NCAA tourney appearance in three seasons under head coach Sam Purcell. MSU is a gritty team and one that plays its best when it defends well, rebounds at a high clip (21st nationally with 40.7 per game), generates points in the paint (39.3 ppg) and earns second chance scoring opportunities (21st with 13.2 per contest). While Jerkaila Jordan (16.1 ppg) leads the team in points, it will take Jordan’s production offensively as well as a collective team effort of nearly mistake-free basketball should MSU seek to make a run in the tournament.

SEC first round games

Spokane 1 Region

• No. 5 Mississippi vs. No. 12 Ball State
• No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State

Spokane 4 Region

• No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State
• No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Liberty
• No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast

Birmingham 2 Region

• No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech
• No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay
• No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon

Birmingham 3 Region

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 William & Mary
• No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 12 South Florida

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